The Boston Celtics have a bit of a dilemma with Payton Pritchard this season, and it's not related to his contract status (he's now eligible for a three-year, $69 million extension, and it shouldn't really be a debate -- Boston needs to sign him).
Boston is going to need some extra shot creation after trading Jaylen Brown, and it's crucial for the team to do whatever it can to support Jayson Tatum (whose usage rate is about to skyrocket) and take as much pressure off of him as possible.
I know he's excelled as a backup, even winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2024-25, but the Celtics need to make Pritchard a full-time starter next season. This will raise his and the team's ceiling, and given that they still have championship hopes, this would be the right call for them to make.
Payton Pritchard can level up in the Celtics' starting lineup
We only saw Pritchard as a not-fully-temporary starter just once -- and it was the best he's ever looked. Just last season, the Oregon native started 50 games for the Celtics before they traded Anfernee Simons and Tatum returned. In those games, he averaged 16.9 points, 5.3 assists, and 4.3 rebounds on 45.6/34.8/86.7% shooting splits, according to StatMuse.
Pritchard has earned a starting role. He's been a backup his entire NBA career, and the one time he was actually given the opportunity to showcase his value as a starter, he delivered and played some of the best basketball of his career.
Plus, not only would adding Pritchard and his elite shot creation into the starting lineup take some pressure off of Tatum, but it would also greatly help Paul George (this would help him embrace his connector/complementary role more) and Derrick White (struggled in a bigger offensive role last year, and the Celtics need him to bounce back to contend).
Boston needs as much offensive firepower in the starting lineup as possible, and Pritchard can help with that. He's a microwave who can get hot at any place, at any time, and when he's on, he's impossible to stop, particularly with the ball in his hands. The 28-year-old is a great fit in the Celtics' system because of his perimeter game, and putting him in the lineup and giving him more opportunities to have the ball in his hands should help him reach a whole new level.
Celtics have options if they start Payton Pritchard
There are two main arguments against the Celtics starting Pritchard: 1) their backup point guard situation would leave a lot to be desired (Mike Conley and Devin Carter, not ideal), and 2) there wouldn't be a go-to scorer off the bench.
But here's the thing: I actually like Carter as a backup point guard in Boston. His biggest flaw is that he's not a good shooter (career 40.1/27.4/67.4% shooting splits through 74 games), but he possesses a lot of value defensively; he's still only 24 years old and was a lottery pick just two years ago; and the Celtics have already proven they can fix his biggest weakness.
Assuming he makes the final roster, it would make sense for Boston to give Carter some legitimate opportunities as a backup point guard to help him work his problems out and showcase his growth.
And as for the whole bench-scoring situation, the same idea could be applied to guys like Baylor Scheierman, Hugo Gonzalez, Ron Harper Jr., and even Sam Hauser, to an extent. This would be a good opportunity for all of them to take a much-needed step forward, make an impact on the second unit, and bolster the Celtics' depth.
There's a lot to like about Pritchard and his outlook in Boston next season. The Celtics need to give him the opportunity to shine and run wild like Hulkamania in the '80s, and inserting him into the starting lineup will give him exactly that.
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